The best performing sector as of midday Wednesday is the Utilities sector, higher by 2.7%. Within the sector, American Electric Power Co Inc (Symbol: AEP) and Xcel Energy Inc (Symbol: XEL) are two large stocks leading the way, showing a gain of 3.8% and 3.7%, respectively. Among utilities ETFs, one ETF following the sector is the Utilities Select Sector SPDR ETF (Symbol: XLU), which is up 2.6% on the day, and down 0.96% year-to-date. American Electric Power Co Inc, meanwhile, is up 0.65% year-to-date, and Xcel Energy Inc is up 2.06% year-to-date. Combined, AEP and XEL make up approximately 8.7% of the underlying holdings of XLU.
The next best performing sector is the Healthcare sector, up 1.1%. Among large Healthcare stocks, Baxter International Inc (Symbol: BAX) and Johnson & Johnson (Symbol: JNJ) are the most notable, showing a gain of 3.9% and 3.8%, respectively. One ETF closely tracking Healthcare stocks is the Health Care Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLV), which is up 1.7% in midday trading, and down 1.31% on a year-to-date basis. Baxter International Inc, meanwhile, is down 16.96% year-to-date, and Johnson & Johnson, is down 7.01% year-to-date. Combined, BAX and JNJ make up approximately 9.1% of the underlying holdings of XLV.
Comparing these stocks and ETFs on a trailing twelve month basis, below is a relative stock price performance chart, with each of the symbols shown in a different color as labeled in the legend at the bottom:
Here’s a snapshot of how the S&P 500 components within the various sectors are faring in afternoon trading on Wednesday. As you can see, three sectors are up on the day, while six sectors are down.
| Sector | % Change |
|---|---|
| Utilities | +2.7% |
| Healthcare | +1.1% |
| Energy | +0.7% |
| Financial | -0.2% |
| Consumer Products | -0.4% |
| Materials | -0.8% |
| Services | -0.9% |
| Technology & Communications | -1.2% |
| Industrial | -1.2% |
Also see:
Closed End Funds List
NMRK Insider Buying
Top Ten Hedge Funds Holding NTT
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.
